Clippers vs Mavericks
The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and the Clippers are hosting the Mavericks' first-round G1 matchup. In this game, Clippers superstar Kawaii Leonard is out due to injury, and Dallas is almost fully healthy. Doncic, Irving's matchup with Harden, George, and Wei Shao is the biggest attraction of this battle. The internal competition between the two sides is also worth looking forward to.
Harden dreams of returning to the top, the Clippers create miracles, George sets a record!
Zubac and Harden took the lead on the inside and outside, the Mavericks were slow to heat up, and the Clippers set off a scoring frenzy in a row, extending the margin to double digits. Westbrook scored consecutive points in the second quarter, Dallas could only rely on the sporadic singles of Doncic and Irving to score points, Harden entered the scoring mode, Zubac wreaked havoc under the basket, and the Clippers extended the margin to 27 points. At halftime, the Mavericks trailed by 26 points, and Dallas scored only eight points in the second quarter.
George singles Doncic
In the rematch, Owen slashes like crazy, and George and Mann fight it. The Mavericks continued to be suppressed by Zubac on the inside, Doncic took care of cutting points and tandem teams, and Harden helped the Clippers achieve full firepower on the outside, and the Clippers continued to occupy the initiative on the court. Heading into the final quarter, the Mavericks trailed by 23 points. In the 4th quarter, Doncic and Irving chased points, and the Clippers were always able to respond on the offensive end. The Mavericks struggled to close the margin to single digits, while the Clippers locked in the win. The game time gradually ran out, and in the end, the Clippers won 109-97 to take a 1-0 lead and defend their home-court advantage.
The Clippers beat the Mavericks
In this game, the Mavericks made 25 of 33 free throws, and the Clippers made 11 of 13 free throws. With the number of free throws trailing the opponent by 20, the Clippers still have an absolute advantage on the inside. The Clippers led 45-41 in the restricted area and 36-32 in rebounding.
In addition, the Clippers rained three-pointers in this game, shooting 18-of-36 from the outside, while the Mavericks shot 10-of-33 from three-point range. Relying on a 50% long-range shooting percentage, the Clippers made a big hit on the offensive end. Meanwhile, in the number of three-pointers hit, the Clippers led the opponent by eight.
The Clippers won, and Xiaoka can recuperate from his injuries with peace of mind
Suppressing opponents on both the inside and outside is the key to the Clippers' complete victory in this battle. In the absence of Xiaoka, the Clippers realized that all the people were soldiers and fired inside and outside, and it seems that Xiaoka can recuperate from his injuries with peace of mind. After all, core players such as Harden, George, Westbrook and Zubac continued their hot form in this game.
Xiaoka watched the game from the sidelines
Harden dreams of being back at the top
James Harden, the Clippers' backcourt superstar, shot 8-of-17, 6-of-11 three-pointers, 6-of-6 free throws, and blasted 28 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks in the game. Harden shot a team-high 47 percent from the field and made the most three-pointers of the game with 55 percent. Harden is also the assist and block king of this game, and Harden has set an example in both the tandem team and the defensive end. Harden has shown a strong desire to win and a strong ability to lead the team, and his leadership temperament can be seen.
Harden and Zubac
It is worth mentioning that Harden scored 20 points, 4 assists and 2 blocks on 6-of-10 and 4-of-6 three-pointers in the first half, leading the team to a 26-point lead in the first half, laying the foundation for an early victory. Harden's singles and long-range shooting can be described as easy to come by, and the state is hot. Harden went on a rampage on both the offensive and defensive ends and in tandem with the team, which can be said to have achieved a dream back to the top.
Harden singled Doncic and hit a long shot
Statistics show that Harden's team has never lost a series of G1 since '19, and the last time he lost G1 was the '19 Western Conference semifinals when the Rockets faced the Warriors.
The Clippers performed miracles
In this battle, the Clippers also performed miracles. Statistics show that the Clippers limited the Mavericks to only 30 points in the first half (22 points in the first quarter and 8 points in the second quarter), setting a new record for the fewest points conceded in any half of a playoff game in team history.
The Clippers took a 1-0 lead by two men
The Clippers worked both offensive and defensive ends, and it can be said that they spent the game in the first half. In the absence of Xiaoka, the Clippers are all soldiers, showing a strong instant combat power.
George set a record
In this game, the Clippers forward giant Paul George performed well. George played 37 minutes, shooting 8-of-20, 4-of-12 from three-point range, 2-of-2 from the free-throw line, and slashed for 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. George scored the second-highest score on the team and was the second-most three-pointers in the game. In addition, George also has a solid output on rebounding protection, tandem teams, and defense. George scored 17 points in the second half and took over the offensive banner from Harden to help the Clippers close the game.
Paul George set a record
At the same time, George also set a record in this battle. Statistics show that George hit a total of 262 three-pointers in the playoffs in his career, surpassing Robert Horry to rank 15th all-time.
Wei Shao is efficient
Russell Westbrook, the Clippers' backcourt giant, was efficient in this game. Wei Shao played 23 minutes off the bench, shooting 5-of-8, 2-of-4 three-pointers, and 1-of-2 free throws, and got 13 points, 4 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Wei Shao scored the highest score of both teams on the bench with a 63 percent shooting percentage, and his plus/minus was as high as +9. While Wei Shao also has the second most assists on the team. Wei Shao, as the steal king of this battle, is full of deterrence on the defensive end.
Harden vs. Willis
In addition, Wei Shao led the Clippers bench to maintain the lead on the court very well. Westbrook was extremely efficient, sharing the offensive and defensive pressure on Harden. At the same time, Wei Shao sent violent dunks many times, which also ignited the enthusiasm of the home fans and activated the fighting spirit of his teammates.